Kevin Spacey must pay the creators of the Netflix show House of Cards nearly $31 million for financial losses he inflicted on the show after he was fired in 2017 for the sexual harassment of several crew members.
Because of Spacey’s termination from the show, on which he was the main character for five seasons, producers had to delay the sixth season to rewrite the plot, remove his character, and reduce the number of episodes to meet production deadlines, according to court documents. As a result, production company MRC claims it lost tens of millions of dollars.
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The ruling, handed down by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana on Thursday, compels Spacey to pay $30.9 million to MRC and other companies involved with the production of House of Cards.
The decision ends a yearslong legal battle between Spacey and the show, as the actor sought to argue the production company violated agreements by prematurely terminating his contract.
Spacey was suspended and later removed from the show after it was reported in 2017 that he “systematically” preyed upon, sexually harassed, and groped young women “throughout his career,” according to court documents. The allegations prompted an internal investigation from MRC, which found that Spacey’s conduct constituted a breach of contract, relieving the show from having to “pay him any further compensation.”
However, Spacey’s attorneys argued his termination came before the production company concluded its internal investigation and that his actions were not a significant factor in the show’s financial losses.
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The 63-year-old actor was fired or removed from several projects in 2017 after allegations of sexual harassment emerged amid the rising #MeToo movement.
Spacey has denied the allegations.
He is currently facing other allegations of sexual assault, including five charges of sex crimes, some dating back nearly 20 years, in a British court. Spacey pleaded not guilty to those charges last week and could face time in prison or an unlimited fine. He is set to go to trial next summer.
